I am a theoretical particle physicist working to uncover the dynamic inner structure of the proton, which is filled with a sea of smaller particles called quarks and gluons zipping around. I also work to determine other phases of matter that these quarks and gluons form at extreme temperatures and pressures.More specifically, I focus on strengthening our toolbox of analytic and numerical techniques for understanding quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of quarks, gluons, and the strong force that binds them into hadrons (composite particles like the proton). I develop and utilize a wide range of tools to map out both the inner structure of hadrons and QCD phase structure, including in effective field theory (EFT), non-Hermitian and PT-symmetric physics, perturbative methods, and lattice gauge theory. As a side pursuit, I also work on optics. You can find more information at: https://sites.google.com/view/stella-schindler